


Snowboarding Is More Fun With Two

by Beings_Of_Stardust_Are_We



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Pendragon Is a Prat, Arthur Pendragon is a Ponce, By a fireplace, CEO Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Coffee Shops, Falling In Love, Fluff, I chucked in some MorGwenCelot for y'all, In a ski lodge, M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit, Olympic Snowboarder Merlin (Merlin), On a squashy loveseat, Secret Identity, They're both famous but they're also both stupid and don't keep up in each other's topics, Well not really, Winter Olympics, in other words, over coffee, ski lodge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:01:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22110724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beings_Of_Stardust_Are_We/pseuds/Beings_Of_Stardust_Are_We
Summary: CEO Arthur Pendragon has been dreading the company ski trip for months. Now that he's here, it is decidedly worse than even he had imagined. His butt hurts, his wrist might be broken, and there's a full possibility that he will fire the entire Management Department (including Morgana, whose fingerprints are all over this) before he has to go through another one of these workplace bonding exercises.Fortunately for the poor Management saps that obey his sister like dogs, an encounter with a witty stranger turns his mood towards this trip for the better.
Relationships: Gaius & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot/Morgana (Merlin), Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 57
Kudos: 336





	1. On the Slope (Or: How Arthur Can't Snowboard but Merlin Definitely Can)

**Author's Note:**

> I hurt my wrist snowboarding so here's a mini story about snowboarding and why it SUCKS ASS
> 
> Just kidding. It's holiday fluff, I swear.
> 
> Note: I've had a couple trolls now (on both this story and others), and I'm really not impressed. Rude comments hurt my willingness to return to the story and ruin what confidence I have in my writing in general. I read and respond to every comment I get; don't think I won't see it. If you have a problem, please be polite about it! I'll be happy to explain anything, and I'm always open to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. :)
> 
> If you choose to leave a rude remark anyway, I hope you know that you are giving me permission to show up to your house in the middle of the night and eat your C4 vertebra.

When he hit the ground for the umpteenth time, palms scraping on the ground up ice that served as snow, wrists groaning at the impact, Arthur decided that snowboarding was not for him. The instructors could go on about the easy mastery that followed the rough start, but it was their  _ job _ to scoot about the snow like upright penguins. It wasn’t Arthur’s fault that his job required more paperwork than footwork. He was lucky that the gym was so near his house; frequent trips before dawn or after dark were the only things keeping him fighting fit. 

He was internally cursing Management for their choice of a corporate bonding exercise when a whiz on his right brought Gwen down the slopes, brown hair streaming behind her like a curly comet tail. She waved at him as best she could, pole in hand, as she raced down the hill with too much skill for someone who had been in the beginners’ ski class this morning. Arthur’s snowboarding class had been at the same time, for the same measly two hours, with the same underpaid and over caffeinated college age instructors, yet here he was on his ass. 

He tried to get himself up, but his wrist, which had been responsible for catching the entirety of his seventy-something kilograms of body for the past twenty-something falls at about 45 km/h, finally gave out. He fell back onto his rump and threw his hands up over his head, surrendering to the inevitability of failure and the certainty of death. 

His existential melancholy didn’t last long thanks to the whoosh of an approaching snowboarder, followed by the sound of someone coming neatly to a stop near his expiring corpse. A voice, softer than down and smoother than chocolate, spoke from above, its bearer superimposed in black against the noonday sun. Had Arthur already died? What had killed him: sudden, full-body frostbite, an unattentive person coming down the hill too fast?

The man, probably not an angel since he wasn’t able to hear Arthur’s thoughts as he assumed they could, reached a hand down to the recumbent boarder, repeating his question. “Are you alright, friend? Fell down?”

If he wasn’t so weak, Arthur would have smacked the mystery man’s hand away. Instead he accepted, snapping off a comment as Mr. Probably-Not-An-Angel pulled him up. “Do I know you?”

The stranger smiled awkwardly, what could be seen of his cheekbones beneath his visor becoming even more pronounced. “Sorry, I’m Merlin.”

“So I don’t know you.” 

Following a moment of startled silence, Merlin replied. “I suppose not…”

“Yet you called me friend?” Arthur knew that he shouldn’t be upset over such a turn of phrase, but he was angry and venting at his board and the snow and Management and himself. Everything, really. Merlin had just offered himself up on a silver platter to the roaring anger of Arthur Pendragon. 

Merlin inhaled through his teeth, face scrunching up in a vaguely cute way. “That was my mistake.”

“Yeah.”

“I could never be friends with someone who was such an ass.” 

“Nor I with such an idiot.” The bickering was ending, and he couldn’t have that. “Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?”

The threat had the desired effect; Merlin sent a mischievous grin Arthur’s way and quickly strapped in again. 

“You’ll have to catch me first!” 

He streaked off down the mountain with unparalleled grace, and Arthur found himself rushing to get back on his board. He could do this. Merlin would surely fall at some point, giving him a moment to catch up, right?


	2. Conversations about Coffee (Lies! They're Talking About Harry Potter!!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Face reveal?? (For the boys, that is.)
> 
> Unless I do a companion from his POV, this is all you'll know about Merlin's opinions on Arthur taking off his helmet: he hot

Merlin, sadly, did not fall and ended up finishing a good ten minutes before Arthur, who commendably, was so focused on catching up to his challenger that he only fell thrice, forgetting the pain in his wrist as he sprang back up each time. Thanks to his slow progress, Arthur was sure that his momentary angel wouldn’t be waiting at the end; who would wait for a man they hardly knew when the slopes paid by the hour? 

When he reached the bottom of the hill, he discovered the answer to be Merlin. It was hard to miss anyone of his height in a crowd, especially when topped with such a ridiculous dragon-scale pattern helmet. It shone in the glancing light of the sun, making Merlin look more like a gangly lighthouse holding a snowboard than the untouchable streak of black and gold he had been on the slope. 

Arthur struggled out of his bindings and, still unused to the huge snowboarding boots, awkwardly clomped over to where his new acquaintance stood. Merlin smiled broadly and greeted him chipperly. “No more naps on the snow, then?”

The blonde scoffed. “You wish. Let’s race again.”

“You sure?” Merlin replied, a look of concern gracing what features he had visible. “I don’t think your wrist is good for another round right now.”

Having forgotten about the offending limb in his mad dash to gain ground on Merlin, Arthur was surprised to note that he was unconsciously cradling it to his chest. He winced, finally registering the steady throbbing emanating from it. “Yeah… I guess not.”

After a moment more of pursed lip concern, Merlin’s face shifted into excitement. “Apart from storing my bag, I wasn’t going to use it, but I’ve got a nice area by the fireplace in the lodge. Care to come with? I’ll buy the hot chocolate.” His speech sped up as he finished his pitch, clearly afraid of being rejected or insulted. Arthur wasn’t about to do either.

“Alright, I’ll come… on one condition.”

Merlin’s very expressive mouth (how emotive were his eyes?) jumped at the acceptance before settling into a slight pout at the end. “What?”

“I’ll pay.” 

As if his smile wasn’t already sweet enough to cause diabetes, Merlin’s laugh was happiness condensed into a noise. It was bright and cheerful, loud and clear. It was the laugh of someone who laughed often and honestly. A corner of Arthur’s brain regretted that he didn’t have a recorder to capture the mystical sound. 

Merlin shifted his board into a one armed grip at his side and started into the lodge, not much more gracefully than Arthur. This counted as a win; Merlin had clearly been at this a lot longer, so Arthur didn’t look too ridiculous with his clumsy walk. 

They dropped their snowboards at the door, checked their boots in the mud room, and gratefully slipped their aching feet into the soft slippers provided. Just from looking around, Arthur could tell who in Management had picked this particular resort. The tastefully rustic interior was reminiscent of a log cabin, without all the unevenness and heating issues. Large bay windows provided an unobstructed view of the forested mountains and the people milling about down the different ski trails. Only Morgana could find the sole ski resort with taste within five hundred kilometers. Most places tried too hard or not hard enough, resulting in a terrible lodge dichotomy of either soul crushing minimalism or the garish overabundance of taxidermy.

Merlin directed him over to a squashy sofa by the stone fireplace in the middle of the back wall, where a nearly empty green ski bag sat. Seeing it, he flushed and rushed over, quickly tucking it under the couch. Arthur caught a traitorous glimpse of a snake decal despite his friend’s haste. 

“Is that a Slytherin bag?”

Merlin stopped dead in his tracks, cheeks reddening even more. “Ummm… what bag?” 

“ _ Mer _ lin,” Arthur drawled, smiling in a way he hoped conveyed only friendly intent. “I saw the snake.”

Resigned to his fate, Merlin flopped onto the couch. “Alright, I do still like Harry Potter. I’ve always been stuck between Slytherin and Ravenclaw, so I just asked a friend to put in the final word. He said Slytherin, and I stuck with it.”

“If it helps, my gym bag says  _ Gryffindor Quidditch  _ on it,” Arthur offered. 

“Well of  _ course  _ you’re a Gryffindor!” Merlin cries. “You’re a bloody dollophead!” 

“What’s a dollophead?” 

“I’ll tell you if you tell me your name.”

Arthur flushed, realizing that he hadn’t offered his name the entire time they had been talking, which was, admittedly, not long. “Arthur Pendragon.”

Merlin smiled. “Then I can define dollophead in two words: Arthur Pendragon.”

It was Arthur’s turn to laugh now, just as loud and free as his new friend. Feeling something clunk around his head when he hit it on the back of the sofa, he realized he was still in full gear, helmet and all. Quickly shucking off his coat and ski bib, he fumbled with the strap on his helmet for a moment before giving up on his frozen fingers. He smiled sheepishly and looked to Merlin. “Little help?”

Merlin reached out with newly ungloved (he had noticed that he was also still wrapped up from the cold too, apparently) dexterous fingers and undid the clasp quickly. Arthur provided the same service, finding his fingers to easier to move by the minute. Then Merlin took off his visor and helmet in one fell swoop, and Arthur’s world blew away.

There was something oddly familiar in the arch of those indomitable cheekbones, those satellite-esque ears, the flushed pink of his nose and cheeks from the cold. Arthur found God in the warm ice of his eyes and lost Him again in the sinful curve of his cupid’s bow. His hair was dark and horribly messed from the helmet, and Arthur could not remember, for the life of him, one person more attractive than Merlin. Adonis sat before him in ski garb. 

He pulled off his own helmet and stood, needing to get his bearings before he fell over or did something equally regrettable. “Alright, I’ll go get our drinks. What do you want?”

“Medium mocha and a chocolate croissant, please,” Merlin replied without hesitation. Arthur thought the sweet order suited him perfectly. 

He saluted jokingly and walked over to the cafe, thanking whomever was out there that he didn’t trip with every step.


	3. To Absolutely No One's Surprise, Arthur and Merlin Are Idiots (The Results Will Shock You!)

If the coffees had arrived any faster, Arthur would have thought that Morgana had threatened the staff of the in-house cafe with certain death if they didn’t make them at the speed of light. As it were, he just chalked it up to effective service. Coffees and croissant now warming his hands, he made his way back to the fireplace couch. Merlin smiled widely at his arrival.

“That was fast!” the man exclaimed, reaching out eagerly for his sugar fix. 

Arthur explained his theory about Morgana as he retook his seat next to Merlin, and his companion laughed. 

“Your sister seems like quite the interesting woman!” Merlin said, still chuckling. “Are you two close, then? You work together, so you can’t be too antagonistic.”

Arthur stared at him for a moment. “Merlin… do you not know who I am?”

“Umm, no?” Merlin replied, cocking a thin eyebrow. “Should I?”

Arthur was about to answer when a buzzing interrupted their conversation. Merlin jumped and seized a phone (not a Pendragon model, Arthur noted) out of his pocket, quickly standing up when he saw the user ID. “I’m sorry, Arthur- I’ll be right back. I’ve gotta take this.”

He strode away quickly, bringing the phone up to his ear. Though he was out of earshot quickly, his sudden exclamation was probably heard out on the slopes. 

“WHAT?! OH MY GOD!” Arthur watched in amusement as Merlin awkwardly mouthed an apology to the people around him, said a few more words into his phone, hung up, and practically bounced over to where the CEO was sitting. 

Arthur nudged Merlin teasingly when he sat down again, practically vibrating. “Sooo, what’s up?”

“Oh God, I can’t believe it!” he gushed, bouncing on the cushions. “That was my coach, Gaius-”

“Gaius?” Arthur interrupted to clarify. 

Merlin chuckled. “Yeah, kind of a weird name. He’s actually my uncle, but-”

“You’re Merlin.”

Confusion radiated from his companion as he nodded. “Ummm... yes? I thought we had covered this…”

“Sorry, one of my father’s closest friends is named Gaius, and he mentions his nephew Merlin sometimes. I would never have guessed that that was you!”

“Yeah, we don’t really look similar. I don’t know if it’s the lack of liver spots or the fact that I’ve never managed to convey the level of disappointment in a single eyebrow that he can,” Merlin joked. “Anyway, Gaius called, and I just secured one of the biggest sponsors of my entire career!”

It was Arthur’s turn to be confused now. “Wait, you mentioned that he was a coach, and you have sponsors- what do you do for a living?”

Merlin stared at him blankly. “You don’t know who I am?”

“Should I?” Arthur shot back, mimicking Merlin from earlier. The mimicked man shoved him in the side at the unflattering impression. 

“Do you just accept every stranger’s offer of a snowboard race then?” Something about his tone told Arthur that he was certainly missing something.

“The cute strangers, yeah.”

Though the reply had Merlin blushing to the tips of his considerable ears, he scoffed and turned on his phone, opening his gallery and flipping through it. He tapped one photo with relish and passed the phone to Arthur. 

The picture in question was a screenshot of a winter issue of a popular online sports magazine. The cover of the magazine had a snowboarder on it, instantly recognizable to Arthur by his gold dragon-scale helmet.  _ Continuing the Snowboarding Legacy _ , the title read,  _ A Look Into Two-Time Gold Medalist Merlin Emrys, The Last Dragonlord. _

Merlin took the phone back, leaving a shocked Arthur holding air. “Yeah, umm… Surprise?”

Arthur stared at him for a minute. “You’re a snowboarder.”

“Yes.”

“Professionally.”

“Yes.”

“You have two gold medals.”

“Yes.”

“My father’s friend, your uncle Gaius, is your coach.”

“Yes.”

“How have we never met before, or at least heard each other’s names?!”

Merlin shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s not like I’m a shy person.”

“That might be my problem, then,” Arthur admitted, rubbing his temple with two fingers. A bit of a headache was building- something that often happened when he was out in the cold. “I’m a bit of a workaholic, and my father and I haven’t been incredibly close since I came out. He wasn’t too pleased to find out that there’s a fifty percent chance of me continuing the Pendragon line.”

Merlin frowned sympathetically at that. “I’m sorry that you and your father aren’t close. My dad wasn’t around much, but we were a tight knit family when he was. He took the fact that I’m gay in stride, too, which was nice.”

Arthur noticed Merlin’s use of past tense but didn’t dwell on it. He knew how it felt when someone asked about his mother; he wasn’t going to bring that into the conversation. “Were you serious, though, when you said that you don’t know who I am, either?”

“Yeah,” Merlin said, grinning slightly. “Hope it isn’t something as obvious as me being a semi-famous athlete.”

“Merlin, have you ever had a Pendragon phone?”

“No, actually. I did just get a sponsorship from them, thou…” He trailed off as his eyes widened. “No… you’re not…”

Arthur spread his arms. “Arthur Pendragon, CEO of Pendragon Enterprises, at your service.”

Merlin’s embarrassed moan only made him smirk more. “Not as obvious as you being The Last Dragonlord, you say, Emrys?”

“Okay, okay, I don’t keep up with the business world, alright?” Merlin cried, waving his hands around. “And I certainly didn’t think that my first encounter with the CEO of my biggest sponsorship would be on a snowboarding slope at a ski resort!”

Arthur’s ears perked up; now  _ this  _ was news. “Sponsorship?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! Gaius just called me to tell me that Pendragon Enterprises- you know,  _ your company _ \- is going to be sponsoring me for the considerable future. I’m surprised you didn’t know.” 

“Yeah, I trust Morgana and her partners on these kinds of deals. She, Gwen, and Lancelot can pick the best investments from three miles away.” 

“Aww, you think I’m a good investment?” Merlin patted his cheek with a coffee-warmed hand. “I’ll make sure to live up to your expectations, Mr. Pendragon, sir.”

“Well, I can’t say much about my professional expectations right now, Mr. Emrys, but my personal hopes are that I can tempt you with another coffee. Saturday, perhaps?”

Merlin blushed again before shaking his head, smiling. “That was… quite smooth actually. I can do Saturday before eleven or after six, if that works for you?”

“Saturday at six-thirty, then!” Arthur’s face was going to split with all of the smiling he was doing. “I know a nice cafe; would you like me to pick you up or just send me the address?”

“God, you’re a gentleman,” the snowboarder remarked, “You’re forgetting one crucial detail though.”

Nonplussed, Arthur only looked at him. Merlin huffed out a laugh and passed the CEO his phone. “I’ll need your number if you want me to text you my address.”

“Oh! Sorry, I’m a bit out of it right now.” 

Arthur’s response produced another laugh. “Understandable- how many times did you fall on your head before I got there? Not counting the time you were dropped as a baby.”

“Hey!” The blonde lightly slapped his new friend’s (date's?) arm before taking his phone. (Old, cracked- ugh, Camlann brand- the first order of business was getting Merlin a new one.)

Number entered, Arthur returned the cursed cellular device, and Merlin accepted it with a sudden look of disappointment on his face. Before the CEO could assume that it was his fault, Merlin spoke.

“Sorry- that face I was making wasn’t because of you. I’ve got to go like-” He checked his watch. “Now. But I can’t wait to see you on Saturday!” He stood up, rushing to gather his things. Arthur reached down and grabbed the snowboarder’s helmet from where it had rolled under the couch, and Merlin accepted it from him with a smile and a chaste kiss on the cheek. Arthur’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. 

“See you Saturday!” Merlin chirped, flouncing off as if nothing had happened. Arthur watched him go, kept happy by the knowledge that he would see the man again in a few days. 

Perhaps he should give Morgana a raise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may be an epilogue.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The set up of this chapter is based off of one of my favorite fics in this fandom. (I don't remember the name right now.)
> 
> Update: It's called On Thin Ice and is linked below!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cool facts about this fic:
> 
> I wrote it with both of my hands in wrist braces because (you guessed it!) I sprained them both snowboarding. 
> 
> Merlin's coffee order is also mine! 
> 
> The basis for the epilogue is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22284073
> 
> Merlin is a terrible skier, but when they go to the ski lodge for their 1 year anniversary, Arthur finds that he's far better at it than snowboarding. (Merlin still beats him in every race, obviously.)

**People Magazine, April 2020 Issue**

**When Worlds Collide: CEO Of Pendragon Enterprises Has Finally Revealed The Identity of His Beau**

Tech mogul Arthur Pendragon is a very private man, as most of our readers probably know. The man avoids the press whenever possible, and though rumors about his current relationship status have circulated the Internet for some time, we haven’t had confirmation until now. 

In a press conference yesterday, the CEO confirmed that he has been dating highly acclaimed Olympic snowboarder, Merlin Emrys for more than a year. (For more about Mr. Emrys’s career and medals, go to page 16.) He refused to comment further, though he did hint at a possible interview at a later date. 

The announcement has made a splash, to put it lightly. #Merthur is currently trending on Twitter, and news stations everywhere are jockeying for a chance to be the first to interview the couple. 

Not much more has been revealed, but we at People will keep our readers informed of any developments! 

  
  


[The following is an excerpt from the transcript of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in June of 2020]

Fallon: “Tonight we our special guests are a highly private couple, whose relationship was announced two months ago. They’re breaking their subsequent silence tonight, so let’s have a warm welcome for Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys!”

(Emrys and Pendragon enter to cheers and take their seats.)

Fallon: “You guys are Internet darlings, but not too much is actually known about your relationship. Can you give us some more details tonight?”

Pendragon (taking Emrys’s hand): “We met in December of 2018 at a ski resort when I was suffering through a corporate bonding exercise.”

Emrys: “He was lying on his back on the slope when I saw him for the first time. I tried to make sure he was okay, but like the utter clotpole he is, he just snapped at me. I ended up challenging him to a race down the slope. He lost miserably, obviously.”

Pendragon: “This idiot waited at the bottom of the hill for ten minutes because he apparently doesn’t care that slopes charge by the hour.”

Emrys: “He tried to demand a rematch, but his wrist had been rather banged up. I invited him to get coffee with me in the lodge instead.”

Fallon: “Did you know who he was at the time?”

Emrys: “I had no idea. He told me his full name when we got inside, but I didn’t connect the dots. We both assumed that the other knew who we were.”

Fallon: “So you just challenged the CEO of Pendragon Enterprises to a snowboarding race, then invited him for coffee? Not knowing who he was?”

(Emrys blushes.)

Pendragon: “To be fair, I insulted an Olympic snowboarder and then accepted his challenge to race without knowing who he was.”

Fallon: “When did it all come together for you?”

Emrys: “Well, I asked if he worked with his sister, and he, ever the arrogant ass, asked if I ‘even knew who he was’. I said no, and he was about to tell me when my phone rang.”

Pendragon: “When he finished, he told me that he’d gotten a call from his coach about a sponsorship. I asked what he did for a living, and he did a terrible impression of me asking if I even knew who he was.”

Emrys: “It all came together from there. He found out that his company was now sponsoring me, and I found out that I had called my biggest sponsor an ass.”

Pendragon: “I dropped a rather smooth- don’t deny it,  _ Mer _ lin, you admitted it- pick up line, asking him to coffee. He had to go then, but I gave him my number and we set a date.”

Emrys: “We texted constantly, and when Saturday arrived, I was already half in love with him.”

(Awws come from the audience.)

Fallon: “And I’m assuming that there was a bit less miscommunication on the second date?”

Pendragon: “Yes and no. We knew who the other was now, but Merlin’s an idiot when it comes to emot-”

Emrys (interrupting): “Look who’s talking, Mr. Didn’t-Propose-For-Three-Months-After-He- Bought-The-Ring-Because-”He-Wasn’t-Sure-I’d-Accept”!”

(Laughter and cheers.)

Fallon: “Wait, you two are engaged?!”

Emrys (holding up hand): “Arthur proposed last week when we were holidaying in Paris. It was sickeningly romantic.”

Pendragon: “You’re the one who said yes.”

(Emrys kisses his cheek to more awws.) “I never said I wasn’t also a romantic.”

Fallon: “You two seem to bicker a lot. Do your interests mostly match up, or do you argue over most things?”

Pendragon: “We actually have far more in common than anyone would ever expect, even if he  _ is  _ a Slytherin.”

Emrys: “Our teasing is mutually affectionate, and you should hear this one wax poetic when he’s feeling sappy. He says that it’s my girlishness rubbing off on him.”

Fallon: “Is the wedding being planned, or are you going to wait a while?”

Emrys: “We’re starting our basic plans, but it’s going to take a while. Apparently, our shared interests don’t extend to things like preferred season, setting, colour scheme, or anything else having to do with weddings.”

Pendragon: “How about you settle this for us, Jimmy. What’s better: a spring wedding or a winter wedding? Merlin wants a spring wedding in the woods, but I’m hoping for a winter wedding at Camelot.”

Fallon (hands up): “I’m not entering this fight; how about we ask the audience?”

(Mixed shouts of spring and winter resound through the studio.) (Emrys sighs.)

Emrys: “Fine, what about a spring wedding at Camelot?”

Pendragon: “Is a live studio audience all I need to get you to compromise? I should have done this a lot earlier.”

(Emrys elbows him in the side.)

Fallon: “Let’s move on before I’m caught in the crossfire. What about your respective careers? You’re expected to take gold again in this year’s Winter Olympics, Merlin; are you feeling confident?”

Emrys: “I’m never confident in my performance; something could always go wrong. What I do know is that, no matter what happens, I already have something infinitely more valuable than another gold medal.”

(There’s another loud chorus of awws and a few wolf-whistles as Emrys kisses Pendragon.) 

Fallon: “And you, Arthur, can we be expecting anything new from Pendragon Enterprises?”

Pendragon: “I’m afraid I can’t give details, but I think that people will be quite excited by our next product.” 

Fallon: “I bet we will, and I’m sure that I can speak for the audience of The Tonight Show, here and at home, when I thank you both for your time and wish you luck for the future. This has been Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show with Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys, thank you and good night!”

[End excerpt]

  
  


**Life Magazine, April 2021 Issue**

**Wedding of the Century: Emrys and Pendragon Married at Camelot Castle**

The historic home of the Pendragon family, Camelot Castle, became a media epicenter three days ago when it opened its doors for the most televised wedding of the century. This can hardly have been a surprise though; the guestbook included some of the biggest names of politics, business, and entertainment- the scion of Pendragon enterprises, Uther Pendragon, and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II among them. 

“There were flowers everywhere you looked,” says Life’s representative for the event, “You walked under an arch of white roses to enter the venue, and they sparkled with small crystals when the sun hit them. It was magical.”

The bridegrooms’ outfits have made waves in the fashion community. According to the newest addition to the Pendragon family, they were made by his sister-in-law’s girlfriend. “I practically begged Gwen to make my suit for the wedding, and it was probably the best idea I’ve ever had,” he explained in an interview the day before the event. “I felt like a prince.” (See page 9 for a rundown of the couple’s suits and page 10 to learn more about the genius seamstress behind them.)

The newlyweds, Merlin and Arthur Pendragon, are currently out of the public eye on the family’s private Caribbean island, and some are speculating that, with how adeptly Morgana Pendragon is managing the company in her brother’s absence, they may not return for some time. 

The happy couple are going into the next chapter of their lives, and we wish them the best. 

For more on Merlin Pendragon’s third gold medal, go to page 16. See page 5 for Pendragon Enterprise’s new VR bodysuit and what it means for the future of video games.


End file.
